tilted behaviour

Returning to the blogging desk, I found myself in the unusual position of having the luxury of covering the same tournament from start to end with Event 49: $1,500 No Limit Holdem.

The one thing that was special about this event wasn’t that it was the last donkament of the series, but the fact that it was used to celebrate the life of Amir Vahedi.

Vahedi passed away early this year in a shock to the poker community. He was one of those lovable characters that always had a smile on his face, and of course, one of his famous cigars hanging out the side of his mouth. The reason the WSOP had waited so long to celebrate Vahedi’s life was that in this very same event back in 2003 Vahedi collected his first bracelet and $270,000 in first prize money before final tabling the Main Event just a few weeks later. The Iranian professional poker player amassed over $3,000,000 in lifetime earnings and has nine WSOP cashes to his name, and after a moment of silence, Jack Effel announced to the players, “Amir. We will miss you.”

2,543 players took to the felt, but it would be PokerNews’ own Rich Ryan who was carrying the weight of the time on his shoulders as no one who had played a WSOP event since 2008 had placed in the money.

“I run like baby Jesus.”

That was one of Rich’s tweets during day one as he carried our hopes and dreams of a deep sweat to a bracelet as he finished the day around average, before in a flurry of hands early on day two, he would sneak into the money and add something to is poker CV that many of us have been trying to do for some time now.

Unfortunately his ship with A♦ 6♥ would find a call from a dominated Ace and Rich would be out the door in 111th place for a $3,845 payday.

Twenty-three players returned for the final day with Barry Greenstein’s nephew Michael Linn holding onto the chip lead in a field that feature young twenty-year olds looking at scoring their first bracelet and some much needed pocket money!

We reached the final table in relatively quick time (before four hours with three tables returning is always good) as we broke for dinner. Upon resumption of play, Linn was still in contention, but placed deep in the middle of the pack as the dubbed silent-assassin Taylor Larkin had stepped and amassed the chip lead over the final nine.

At four-handed play, Larkin had amassed over half the chips in play, but the luck soon swung in the opposite direction as it would be Linn who would capture the lead heading into their heads up battle. Linn upped his already aggressive approach to the final table and completely steam-rolled Larkin to the felt, eventually finishing him off with the mighty A♦ 2♣ to see him add another bracelet to the (extended) Greenstein family along with the $609,493 first prize!

With a tough run behind the computer over the past week or so, I decided to cash in a day off I had up my sleeve and take the weekend off.

My plan wasn’t to sleep it off in the hotel, but go play some cards to see if I could switch off some of this run bad.

I headed to the Rio and sat down in a $1-3 NLH game which was full of maybe one good aggressive player and the rest amateurs. Both the under the gun and button straddle were in play frequently, and I had had mine three-bet a couple of times, as well as myself three-betting them too – especially when the only decent aggressive player (let’s call him Tom) did it.

On one occasion Tom straddled under the gun to $6 and I made it $18 with K♣ 7♠ from the cutoff. He four-bet me to $50, and instead of just releasing the King-high like I should, I decided to five-bet to $135 to really put him to the test. It took him about three minutes, but he eventually made the call before shoving for over $250 on the 9♣ 9♥ 2♣ flop to put me to a test for my last $225. I actually thought about making a ridiculously light call hoping he had a Q♣ J♣-type hand, but instead just mucked and topped up back to $300.

After not playing a hand for ages I decided to play a pot holding J♦ 10♦ when the tightest player on the table raised to $15 under the gun. I called from the small blind as a 6♥ 6♣ 5♠ flop fell and my opponent fired out $15 again. I check-raised an additional $37 making it $52 and he made the call as the 4♣ landed on the turn. Of course my flop play was meant to produce a fold, but since it didn’t, and the turn card was pretty good, I decided to run a triple barrel bluff and fired out $70. Taking his time, my opponent made the call as the 10♥ landed on the river. Although my hand improved (against those small overpairs) I was certain I was behind but continued my plan and fired out $140 to effectively put him to a decision for his last $120. He shook his head, shrugged his shoulders and angrily mucked as I sheepishly smiled before raking in the pot.

I then had a real interesting hand come up where, if I was online, I would have played it entirely different. I opened to $11 from middle position holding Q♠ Q♥ and the big blind called as the J♥ 8♠ 3♦ flop fell and my $16 bet was check-called. The 6♥ landed on the turn, and following a check I fired out $35 only to get check-min-raised to $70. To me, when playing online at the limits I’ve been playing this is normally a huge indication of a hand that beats me, but since we’re playing live it makes it different. I decided to smooth-call because if he was bluffing he wasn’t calling a shove, but may bluff the river, and if he had a hand it gives me a chance to reassess on the river. The river landed the 4♠ and my opponent moved all in for $110. I probably sat in the tank for over three minutes running a range of hands through my head.

“You could have a set here. Threes? Jacks? Nah . . . You could have Ace-Jack of spades too!”

Another minute went by before I finally made the call and he amazingly tabled his A♠ J♠ as I raked in the pot to soar up around the $200 mark.

Unfortunately a few minutes before I was leaving I gave a bunch of chips back to that same opponent, when after he limped, I made it $14 with K♠ J♠ from the cutoff and he was the only caller. He check-called $17 on the J♥ J♦ 7♠ flop and it automatically made me smell something funny. We both checked the 8♣ on the turn before I just called $35 when the river landed the 4♠. He showed me his 7♥ 7♦ and all I could think was that I got out of that cheaply!

I cashed out $553 but it only meant $73 profit after having to top up early several times . . . lesson . . . don’t five-bet preflop with K♣ 7♠!

Returning to the Rio for some Sunday cash game action I again found myself on a $1-3 NLH table.

On my second hand I was dealt 4♦ 4♠ in the small blind and called $10 to make it six-ways to the flop. The original raiser fired out $10 on the 2♥ 5♠ 6♣ flop and everyone folded round to me before I check-raised to $32. He called and I dinged the 3♠ on the turn. I led for $65 and he moved all in for $180ish. I snapped it off and tabled my hand, and he just mucked and left the table (without realising we could chop), as the dealer just pushed the pot to send me to $540 without even dealing the river!

The following hand I was dealt A♠ Q♠ and opened to $11 from the button only to have a short-stacker in the big blind make it $20. I put her all in for her last $89 and she called it off with Jacks and held to send me down to $450.

Then about an orbit later I copped a bad one when another multi-way pot saw me dragged in for $13 with Q♠ 10♦ from the blinds. I checked the A♥ K♠ J♥ flop as the original raiser fired out $15 and was called in one spot before I made it $70. The original raiser called before the other player folded as the K♣ landed on the turn and his last $90 went into the pot holding K♥ Q♥. No heart on the river but an even dirtier Q♠ saw me slip right back to what I sat down with.

I flopped trips and turned quads blind on blind with Q♠ 4♠ but played it fairly awful as I only managed to get $110 out of the sucker before getting taken to value town with King-Jack against Queens on a dry Queen-high board. With Donnie’s tournament heading on dinner break, I decided to join him and took my $270 off the table to leave me down $330 for the day so far.

Following some food and a much needed break I found myself at a new table with my $270 and was soon involved in a big pot after calling $16 last to act in six-handed pot with 4♥ 3♥. The original raiser fired out $45 on the K♥ 9♥ 4♣, and once the action had folded to me I decided to make a huge committed check-raise to $155. He angrily folded and I was up to $338 before making the nut flush with A♦ 9♦ and winning a small pot to see me end the session up $114 but down $206 overall for the day.

Since we finished late again last night, Eric and I decided to swap events so that he could start at midday and I in the afternoon covering day two of Event 42: $1,500 No Limit Holdem with Elaine.

The major story of the event was when 2008 November Niner bubble boy Dean Hamrick was left crippled with just seven antes, or, just a little over a small blind when his A♥ J♦ was flushed by an opponent’s A♦ K♣. Everyone always loves a Jack Strauss-esque comeback and I had this sneaky feeling that Hamrick may experience one after more than tripling just a hand later.

About ten minutes later Hamrick was soon up to over 170,000 before soaring up the leaderboard to finish third in chips of the remaining twenty-five players as we ended play for the night.

Returning for the final day of play, we saw ten double ups in the first level, but only four eliminations as another six double ups occurred before we reached the final eighteen just before the first break.

It would take nearly an additional three levels before we reached the final table with Hamrick holding the slight chip lead over the final nine.

With a deep run in the 2008 Main Event along with a donkament final table last year, Hamrick used he experience and patience to slowly accumulate nearly half of the chips in play four-handed, even being able to navigate rivered bad beats and the like.

“Yeah! Fuck yeah!”

Was what Hamrick screamed after rivering Broadway to send Niccolo Caramatti to the rail as Hamrick’s railbirds – that included reigning Champion Joe Cada – celebrated wildly as Hamrick eventually soared over the 7 million chip mark only to be rivered for the majority of chips in play with Jacks against Ace-Queen . . . oh sigh to the Ace on the river!

Once Ian Wiley exited in third place, Hamrick retained the slight edge only to see it soar out to a near two-to-one advantage before switching positions when he ran into Thomas O’Neal’s set. Hamrick slid further behind only to double with a flush and then take further pots down before edging out a three-to-one advantage until his dominated Ace would take care of O’Neal after a marathon three-hour heads up battle while friend Joe Cada napped on the rail.

Hamrick’s victory was not only amazing due to the fact he was crippled to just a small blind deep into day two, but for the reason that this is his justification as a poker player after coming so close before.

Ivan Demidov, Dennis Phillips, Ylon Schwartz, Scott Montgomery and Chino Rheem have all managed to further their reputation as a poker player since the 2008 WSOP Main Event, and now Dean Hamrick can now be classed in that group as well after capturing his first – and the series’ forty-second – bracelet and the $604,222 first prize.

Well deserved and well played Dean!

After a long few days, I was still battling away moving from the straight-forward events over to day two of Event 40: $2,500 Seven Card Razz.

Fellow PokerNews team member Mickey Doft was still alive, but unfortunately he hit the rail along with plenty of others as the 136 players were whittled down to just fifteen by the end of play with Stuart Rutter, Jennifer Harman, Chris Bjorin, Vladimir Shchemelev and recent bracelet winner Frank Kassela still in contention.

Returning for the final day of play.

Once we made the final table, we lost a few players quickly before a funny situation came up where six of our remaining players had to force a break in the event to go late register for the $10,000 HORSE event that was going on across the other side of the room.

Then at around 2:38am the Amazon Room went completely pitch black!

All the power and the lights switched off, only to have the back-up generator (I assume) kick in around thirty seconds later. The players at our final table covered their chips, the players in the HORSE did the same as the dealers also protected their floats before order was restored. Apparently parts of the Strip had their power out as well, including the space-beaming light that soars high from the Luxor.

Eventually full power and lights were restored within around ten minutes as play continued in all of the remaining tournaments and cash games as we continued the battle from three down to just one from the main feature table.

Once heads up was reached it was Event 15 Champion Frank Kassela battling Event 27 Runner-Up Maxwell Troy.

The chip lead changed multiple times before Kassela began to edge ahead of his younger opponent as the railbirds slowly vacated. As the clock ticked close to 5am, Kassela would claim his second coveted gold WSOP bracelet of the series after being the shortest stack coming into day two and walk home with the $214,085 first prize and secondary piece of wrist bling!

After a regretful day off, I was back behind the computer covering day two of Event 35: $10,000 Heads Up No Limit Holdem Championship with Eric.

Returning with 64 players and the aim of playing down to eight, we both thought that it would be a very long day. Fortunately however it was completely the opposite as players punted their stacks off to see matches end extremely early over the three rounds of play. Eric even had time to go home for a few hours! Since each round had a designated starting time, DK and I spent the hour-plus downtime between each round walking aimlessly round the Rio before having to return back to our event each time.

The final eight were a tough group of players including the online stars of Jason Somerville, Faraz Jaka and Ernst Schmejkal, Europeans Alexander Kostritsyn and Ludovic Lacay, along with the tournament veterans of Kido Pham, Ayaz Mahmood and Vanessa Rousso.

Returning for the final day, the first three matches were over fairly quickly, but it would be the Rousso / Schmejkal match that would take over four hours until the German got the better of the French-American.

Taking a short break for dinner, we returned with a final four only to have that cut down to three once Kostritsyn exited when his Aces were run down by Schmejkal’s trip Kings as the final match between Somerville and Mahmood took an additional two hours before Mahmood proved victorious.

Both Mahmood and Schmejkal were given thirty minutes before they would sit down to battle in a best-of-three format for the coveted gold bracelet and $625,682 in first place prizemoney!

Unfortunately for both Martin and I the run-good that had been experienced during the whole event had been all used up as the first match between the two went for over six hours before Mahmood finally claimed the win around 6am before play was paused for the night so the players – and us – could get some much needed rest.

Although it was my day off, I of course was obligated to return to the Rio to cover the extended final day at 7pm.

With Elaine joining me at the desk, our fingers were crossed that the day would be quick, but unfortunately it would be another long one as the second match made the five-hour mark. Fortunately however Mahmood would be victorious meaning that a third match wouldn’t be needed after the most see-sawing heads up battle that I have ever witnessed!

After having to come in to the Rio for our first official group meeting since the WSOP started, Heath, Mickey and I decided to maximise our rare day off.

We returned to the Hard Rock to show Heath around before we headed to Fashion Show Mall so I could buy some shoes and the other two could grab some food.

A few days earlier (while shopping with Jane) I had spotted the sickest pair of Air Jordan Spizike‘s that were a must-have. Walking into Foot Locker the price had been slashed down to $130, and consequently, there were an insta-buy so I could kick it old-school like I was back in 1985 (when they originally came out).

We then walked over to the Aria to check it out, but after finding no real poker action to satisfy us, we jumped in a cab and made our way to the Venetian to play some $4-8 HORSE. Unfortunately the list was full, so we all sat down at a $1-2 NLH table where me and Heath quickly battled after I opened to $12 over a straddle with 9♥ 8♠ only to get four-bet by Heath to $27. I called, and we checked it down with a nine falling on the flop to best his Ace-King.

Several hands later after it limped round to me in the big blind, I made it $13 with K♦ Q♦ and found two callers to see a Q♣ 8♣ 4♣ fall. I fired out $32 and was called in one spot before a 2♠ landed on the turn. On the turn I was faced with a decision of whether or not to bet or check. I felt that if I fired out he was probably only calling with a draw or a weak hand, but raise a set or a baby flush and a hand stronger then mine (top-top etc). Consequently – being prepared to fold if he shoved, but barrel any non-club river – I led out for $60 and he took over two minutes before making the call.

Sigh . . . A♣ . . . what a ghay river! I deliberate just shipping for $130 as a bluff to get him fold a small flush or a stronger non-flush hand, but continuing with my turn play I decided to check only to have him insta-shove for $115. I tanked for days and folded, and he believed a folded a set and didn’t correct him.

“I had King-Queen with the King of clubs . . . probably should have folded the turn” he stated.

“Yes you should have” I replied bluntly.

A few hands later after this lady from Denmark made it $10 after a limper, I bumped it to $36 from the button with Q♦ 6♦. Heath shot me this dirty look before tank-folding Jacks (el oh el) as the lady mucked. I let Heath pick a card and he turned over the Queen and instantly believed I had Queens. The next hand after the same lady made it $8, I three-bet again to $27 from the cutoff with A♠ 8♥ and she called before check-folding for $32 on the J♠ 9♠ 6♥ flop.

Eventually all our seats came up at once and we headed to the $4-8 HORSE table but not before Heath managed a double. Heath sat down with his $500 or so, I sat down with my $386 (after being down $14 from the table previously) and Mickey sat down with about the same.

I scooped a huge pot in PLO-8 with A-K-K-7 against A-Q-Q-x on a K♥ 9♥ 4♠ A♥ 8♠ before GG and Kerry Stead joined the game.

I ran pretty awful for the whole night, including losing a live high two-pair and the nut-flush draw against two full houses in Seven Card Stud before bricking in Stud Hi/Lo with (6x)(5x) / (4x)(2x)(4x)(5x) / (6x) against Heath’s trip kings. I did mange to make a flush and a low the next hand against him however to win the majority of my chips back.

However one of the sickest hands was when my Razz board ran out (Ax)(10x) / (4x)(2x)(Jx)(Qx) / (Kx) to lose to someone that had J-8-8-8 face up on his board . . . so sick!

After a long session on the felt I spent the last hour playing every hand with a can’t be f**ked attitude as I eventually lost my last $100 or so and returned home after another unsuccessful session in Las Vegas!

My friend and fellow PokerNews blogger Rich made an interesting tweet today.

Just peed next to durrrr. Over/under 1,000 2+2′ers would have looked?

A few hours later while on my way to dinner I headed to the bathroom, and as I walked towards an empty urinal, I noticed a unique group of individuals surrounding the one I was about to use.

From left to right there was Alexander Kostritsyn, Kiril Gerasimov, Alexander Kravchenko, ME, Greg Raymer and then Michael Binger!

That line of people that were answering nature’s call hold an amassed US$21,380,278 in tournament earnings that also include 85 WSOP cashes, 24 final tables and 2 bracelets.

And before you ask . . . of course I included my statistics!

Another day at the WSOP saw me covering Event 26: $2,500 No Limit Holdem Six Handed with Rich behind the computer and DK and Greg on the floor.

Jerry Yang soared up the leaderboard early on before the field started to catch up on him, but he is still around for day two and I – along with many others – are rooting for him to buck the trend and ship a second bracelet.

One of the other positives of the day was the fact that I managed to snap a few photos for the first time at any World Series that I’ve covered. I managed to grab a headshot of Jerry Yang for one of our break posts, but my favourite one is this one.

Easily the biggest highlight of the day was the encounters that I had with Daniel Negreanu that mainly occurred after the following hand.

courtesy of PokerNews
Oh Brother!
With around 14,500 in the pot and the flop reading 8♠ K♦ J♦ Daniel Negreanu was faced with a bet from his opponent in the small blind totalling 12,000.

Negreanu shuffled some chips, adjusted a few of his chip stacks before checking his cards once more only to announce he was all in and slide his 79,000-chip stack into the middle.

“Allright I call” stated Negreanu’s opponent for his 41,400 total.

Negreanu: 6♦ 5♦

Opponent: A♦ K♣

“I’m testing a theory . . . I haven’t made a flush all tournament!” added Negreanu as the dealer dealt the 7♥ on the turn to give Negreanu additional outs to make a straight.

The river landed the K♥ and immediately Negreanu stood up and began a Phil Hellmuth-esque tirade.

“No straights, no flushes, no nothing!”

“This is like the thirtieth in a row this World Series!”

With Negreanu’s table based on the rail and at least twenty people watching on, they all remained dead silent as he continued.

“Oh brother!”

“Never going to happen for me!”

“This is just unbelievable!”

Negreanu however is still alive with around 38,000 in chips.

Now I of course left out some of the stuff that he was saying due to the fact that I couldn’t write that fast, my memory was full and it may have been a little offensive, but I think you’ll still get the feel for the hand.

Both he and I had a discussion during a previous event about the quality of our (PokerNews) coverage of the series, and when we had finished, things seemed to be at a good point.

Returning from one of the breaks Daniel walked past our desk and we said hello before I asked him to get me a chip count for table three, seat three (about ten metres or so away) as a joke.

“1,700″ he stated after taking a few steps closer

“That’s all good, but now you gotta find out their names!” I laughed off as he ran to his chair.

Then after the above hand occurred I was walking past his table and he quickly jumped up and asked me if I saw what happened.

“Yeah I think I did you justice in the blog” I responded.

“Oh so it’s on PokerNews . . . I’ll have to check it out” he added before discussing more about his WSOP run bad.

Then a little later on in the evening we had this discussion.

“Did you not shave properly or something this morning?” he asked.

“Yeah pretty much, but also I get a Mr. Miyagi-type moustache”

I returned to write some hands and prepare for the end of the night before returning to the floor. As I walked towards him he quickly propped up out of his chair.

“You’re a fighter aren’t you? I can see it!”

“Nup. You look like a fighter and I’m sticking to it!”

It was a very odd day, but an extremely funny one thanks to Daniel.

Oh . . . and for the record . . . Chip Counting Challenge 1: Distance . . . Negreanu 0 / Duckworth 1!